[ Anakin barely lets the landing ramp set down before he's bolting through the crowd, pushing people aside, terror on his face. Despite being pale and tired, he's running as if his life depends on it. He rounds a corner too fast and has to push off against the wall so he doesn't smack right into it. He finally makes it to a turbolift, but his knees buckle and he looks like he's suddenly about to faint from pain. Undaunted, he throws himself out of the turbolift the moment it stops and skids to a halt right outside of the med ward where half a dozen people are milling about. Anxiety, nerves, restlessness crackle in the air.
"Aunt Mara!" he gasps. "What's wrong with Aunt Mara?"
A woman embraces Anakin, but there's no sense of sadness to her, just concern and affection.
"Mara is fine. Where in space have you been? Is Corran with you?"
Slowly, the conversation unravels-- the source of Anakin's pain earlier hadn't been his aunt's illness about to take her, but was labor pains instead. Anakin barely has time to calm down before the door opens and a very tired-looking Mon Calamari announces that they can come in, a few at a time. Immediately, the woman-- Mirax-- and Anakin walk in.
An older Luke Skywalker is kneeling by the bed of a red-headed woman with jade-green eyes. She looks sick and exhausted, but there's a palpable happiness radiating from both her and Luke. It's clear what the source of joy is-- the little bundle resting in the crook of Mara's arm.
"Luke, Mara. Look who I've brought."
Luke looks relieved and somehow even happier. "Anakin! You're okay! Are Corran and Tahiri with you?"
But Anakin is clearly focused on the newborn, answering his uncle with an absent "Yeah."
He steps closer, as if entranced. "Wow," he whispers.
"Hello, Anakin," the woman says. "I knew you'd be here."
His attention is immediately drawn to her-- to Aunt Mara.
"I thought you were... Can I come closer?"
"Sure."
He moves closer to his aunt's bedside, his eyes never leaving the bundle in her arms. He gets his first good look at his new cousin and blurts out-- "Are they all that ugly?"
The woman fixes him with a look. "You'll want to rephrase that, after what I just went through. Think in the general direction of antonyms."
"I mean, he's--"
"His name is Ben," Luke says, helpfully interjecting before Anakin can stick his foot further in his mouth.
"He's beautiful. In the Force, and... But he's sort of squinched and wrinkly."
"Just like you were," Mara says.
"And you're really okay?"
The woman smiles, happiness overtaking the exhaustion on her face.
"I've never, ever been better. Everything is perfect." She looks down at little baby Ben. "Perfect."
The med ward has become its own little world. Fear and worry are replaced by hope and love, and everything is perfect. ]
accidental video ; un: a.solo
"Aunt Mara!" he gasps. "What's wrong with Aunt Mara?"
A woman embraces Anakin, but there's no sense of sadness to her, just concern and affection.
"Mara is fine. Where in space have you been? Is Corran with you?"
Slowly, the conversation unravels-- the source of Anakin's pain earlier hadn't been his aunt's illness about to take her, but was labor pains instead. Anakin barely has time to calm down before the door opens and a very tired-looking Mon Calamari announces that they can come in, a few at a time. Immediately, the woman-- Mirax-- and Anakin walk in.
An older Luke Skywalker is kneeling by the bed of a red-headed woman with jade-green eyes. She looks sick and exhausted, but there's a palpable happiness radiating from both her and Luke. It's clear what the source of joy is-- the little bundle resting in the crook of Mara's arm.
"Luke, Mara. Look who I've brought."
Luke looks relieved and somehow even happier. "Anakin! You're okay! Are Corran and Tahiri with you?"
But Anakin is clearly focused on the newborn, answering his uncle with an absent "Yeah."
He steps closer, as if entranced. "Wow," he whispers.
"Hello, Anakin," the woman says. "I knew you'd be here."
His attention is immediately drawn to her-- to Aunt Mara.
"I thought you were... Can I come closer?"
"Sure."
He moves closer to his aunt's bedside, his eyes never leaving the bundle in her arms. He gets his first good look at his new cousin and blurts out-- "Are they all that ugly?"
The woman fixes him with a look. "You'll want to rephrase that, after what I just went through. Think in the general direction of antonyms."
"I mean, he's--"
"His name is Ben," Luke says, helpfully interjecting before Anakin can stick his foot further in his mouth.
"He's beautiful. In the Force, and... But he's sort of squinched and wrinkly."
"Just like you were," Mara says.
"And you're really okay?"
The woman smiles, happiness overtaking the exhaustion on her face.
"I've never, ever been better. Everything is perfect." She looks down at little baby Ben. "Perfect."
The med ward has become its own little world. Fear and worry are replaced by hope and love, and everything is perfect. ]